


Rage-Dancing

by purglepurglepurgle



Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: Gen, Gold Saucer, did somebody say projection, features a song from this world but meh, it's all good, the OG has 'TEXAS' and Korean BBQ
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-10-21 11:00:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20692409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purglepurglepurgle/pseuds/purglepurglepurgle
Summary: Elena and team have had a bad day. Turks' slice-of-life, I guess. Set just after Cloud'n'co have been sent to desert-jail.





	Rage-Dancing

It had been a lousy day. The Turks had been blamed for the bloodshed at the Gold Saucer, despite the fact that they hadn't even been there. _Because_ they hadn't been there. Apparently, they were meant to have thwarted AVALANCHE, somehow, even though their orders were to follow Sephiroth. Whose trail had gone colder than those Mythril mines they'd got lost in for three days while following those same stupid orders. Ugh.

Elena was shaky. She'd cried in the meeting, actually_ cried_, though she'd tried and failed to hide it. She was going to fail her probationary period. She'd have to go back to spreadsheets. And she could say goodbye to the Turks' pay; she'd have to move back in with her parents. So much for new starts. She had pictured her sister's smirk, and before she knew it, her cheeks had been hot and her nose full of phlegm. Tseng had silently handed her a tissue, grinding his teeth, as the top brass had ranted and raved at them for what felt like hours. Reno had leaned back in his chair, tapping the mag-rod against his leg so hard she thought it would bruise. Rude had said nothing, done nothing-- but he'd disappeared right after the meeting.

That left the three of them. Reno and Tseng had bickered all the way back to the hotel. Elena was not in the mood for a goofy novelty haunted house, but they'd agreed to make a detour to the Gold Saucer to do some recon. Though that bit could wait 'til morning, thank fuck.

"What shall we get to eat?" said Tseng, now, in the lobby. The grinning demon face loomed over them. Tseng looked like he wanted to punch it.

"Chocobo nuggets?" suggested Reno, stretching.

Tseng spat out a curse in Wutaian. "All the food on Gaia, and you pick--"

"It's the Gold Saucer thing!"

"No. I want real food."

So they ended up in a crimson-curtained restaurant, lit with chandeliers, eating steak in silence. They were the only people there. Elena could've cut the tension with her knife-- if she hadn't just managed to drop it on the floor. Tseng summoned the waiter and told him to get another.

"Thanks, boss," mumbled Elena, embarrassed.

Tseng said nothing. A muscle worked in his jaw.

"Wanna come out for a smoke?" said Reno, after ten minutes of agony punctuated only by his knocking over Tseng's glass of wine.

"Finish your meal, first," said Tseng.

"What are you, my dad?" But Reno stayed at the table.

When they finished, they headed straight for the cable car station; there wasn't a carpark. Elena spent a lot of time in carparks when she was out with these two, talking business while they smoked. There wasn't a reason for them all to stay together, tonight, but she got the impression the others felt the same way she did-- even if they just pissed each other off, they didn't know where else to go.

Reno and Tseng lit up.

"What d'you wanna do?" said Reno.

Tseng said nothing.

Reno tried again. "Could go over plans for tomorrow--"

"Now is _not_ the time," said Tseng.

"Fine, fine... Could go see Event square? Prince Alfred and--"

"That play is shit," said Tseng.

"Well, 'scuse me for suggestin'," said Reno. He took a theatrical drag. "Alright, what d'you wanna do?"

"I want to be at home," said Tseng. "In silence. With friends."

"Well, you got us," said Reno.

Tseng stubbed out his cigarette on the wall, leaving a dark mark on the bright yellow chocobo display. "Fine. Come with me."

"Where we goin'?" said Reno.

Tseng didn't reply.

He led them to the arcade. Elena remembered, earlier in the day, before the disastrous meeting, she'd noted offhand that she'd never been.

"Wait here," said Tseng, and he promptly disappeared.

"Fuck's sake," said Reno. "Do I file the missin' persons report now, or in the mornin'?"

Elena forced a smile.

Tseng returned. "It's one hundred gil per GP, Elena." He handed her a cup of tokens.

Reno clapped her on the shoulders. "Trade 'em back if you win big!"

Elena nodded at them. She got the impression they were trying to spoil her, and felt tears well up again; she sniffed, and dug her nails into her palm. "Got it."

It was a strange evening, but she felt the tension lift as they eased into it. Tseng spent most of the night lurking in a stairwell, smoking. They all played a zombie shooter that detected their heart rates; they were surprised to see that Elena's was slowest.

"Guess I am a Turk!" she said, grinning for real. As she spoke, she spotted another couple of machines in the corner. "Oh, hey..."

"'Sup?" said Reno.

She turned round to the others, eyes gleaming. "Anyone wanna play me?"

Tseng shook his head. He almost looked happy. "But you should, Reno."

"How's it work?" Reno stepped up, gamely.

Elena cracked her knuckles. "You ever done dancemat?"

And that was how Elena wound up rage-dancing against Reno (and thrashing him, of course), to _Butterfly,_ at 2am.


End file.
